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Aye, this. It's a boring constitutional law point, but Parliament cannot bind itself. Therefore, anything which prevents Parliament from doing anything is by definition unconstitutional.

Or, if you prefer, if that amendment was passed, it would mean the square root of f**k all. Because Westminster could still abolish the Scottish Parliament if it wanted to.

If you want to look at gesture politics, then I start with the Conservative policies of banning tax rises.

The parliament introduces restrictions all the time and doing so does not make it unconstitutional. To make my point, are you suggesting that moving the setting of MPs pay to an independent body outwith Parliament is unconstitutional?

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No they didn't. They voted down an SNP amendment which would have changed the words of sub-clause 1(1) from:

"(1A) The Scottish Parliament is a permanent part of the United Kingdom’s constitution.

To:

"(1A) The Scottish Parliament is a permanent part of the United Kingdom’s constitution.

(1B) Subsection (1) or (1A) may be repealed only if—

(a) the Scottish Parliament has consented to the proposed repeal, and

(b) a referendum has been held in Scotland on the proposed repeal and a majority of those voting at the referendum have consented to it."

This does not make the Scottish Parliament any more permanent within the terms of reference of the Smith Commission than the original wording. For one very simple reason.

An Act of the UK Parliament can repeal subsection (1B) without the consent of the Scottish Parliament. Because it is sovereign.

Certainly it is a stronger political protection, and defying the Sewel Convention would carry a stronger political cost, but it would not have made the Scottish Parliament any more permanent than the Bill would already. Indeed, I would argue neither the Bill nor the Amendment make the Parliament any more permanent than the Scotland Act itself!

The SNP amendment was for Westminster to abolish the Scottish parliament you would need the agreement of the Scottish parliament plus a referendum to do so.

If the SNP amendment was included in the Scotland Bill it would make it not only more difficult to abolish the Scottish parliament but even more undemocratic to do so without the consultation of the Scottish people and the Scottish parliament itself!

That's what was voted down!

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Last night in Westminster in case you missed all the massive news coverage today by our MSM.

Holyrood not permanent.

WM can legislate on devolved matters.

WM can repeal Scottish Human Rights.

No FFA.

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The SNP amendment was for Westminster to abolish the Scottish parliament you would need the agreement of the Scottish parliament plus a referendum to do so.

If the SNP amendment was included in the Scotland Bill it would make it not only more difficult to abolish the Scottish parliament but even more undemocratic to do so without the consultation of the Scottish people and the Scottish parliament itself!

That's what was voted down!

It wouldn't make it more difficult. No matter what the clause contained, a future Westminster government would always be able to dissolve the Scottish Parliament by repealing the Scotland Act 1998, Scotland Act 2012 and (soon-to-be) Scotland Act 2015.

Undemocratic? Perhaps, but I think any government prepared to repeal the Scotland Acts will have gone past caring about the need for a referendum.

Last night in Westminster in case you missed all the massive news coverage today by our MSM.

Holyrood not permanent.

You mean apart from the amendment to the Scotland Act 1998 that states:

"(1A) The Scottish Parliament is a permanent part of the United Kingdoms constitution."

WM can legislate on devolved matters.

Westminster has always been able to legislate on devolved matters, with the consent of the Scottish Ministers.

WM can repeal Scottish Human Rights.

Where in the Scotland Bill does such a provision exist?

No FFA.

Which wasn't part of "the vow", which is what so many are referring back to.

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It wouldn't make it more difficult. No matter what the clause contained, a future Westminster government would always be able to dissolve the Scottish Parliament by repealing the Scotland Act 1998, Scotland Act 2012 and (soon-to-be) Scotland Act 2015.

Undemocratic? Perhaps, but I think any government prepared to repeal the Scotland Acts will have gone past caring about the need for a referendum.

You mean apart from the amendment to the Scotland Act 1998 that states:

"(1A) The Scottish Parliament is a permanent part of the United Kingdoms constitution."

Westminster has always been able to legislate on devolved matters, with the consent of the Scottish Ministers.

Where in the Scotland Bill does such a provision exist?

Which wasn't part of "the vow", which is what so many are referring back to.

If you have a Law stating you require a referendum & the Scottish parliament agreement before you can abolish then you try and dissolve without that agreement I would say that would be more difficult than just having a Law that doesn't require that agreement.

There is no statutory Sewell convention meaning Westminster can legislate on devolved matters.

Under devolution legislation, acts of the Scottish parliament and decisions of Scottish ministers must comply with the European convention and the 1998 Human Rights Act.

FFA not part of the vow? I thought we were getting home rule or near federalism? Does that not equate to FFA?

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If you have a Law stating you require a referendum & the Scottish parliament agreement before you can abolish then you try and dissolve without that agreement I would say that would be more difficult than just having a Law that doesn't require that agreement.

You'd be wrong to say that.

As I said, the Scottish Parliament can be dissolved at a stroke by repealing the necessary Acts of Parliament, regardless of the provisions of those acts.

Now it might be more difficult politically, but as I also said any government prepared to repeal the Scotland Acts would be far beyond caring.

There is no statutory Sewell convention meaning Westminster can legislate on devolved matters.

Which is what the following in the Scotland Bill aims to achieve:

“( 8 ) But it is recognised that the Parliament of the United Kingdom will not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters without the consent of the Scottish Parliament.”

Under devolution legislation, acts of the Scottish parliament and decisions of Scottish ministers must comply with the European convention and the 1998 Human Rights Act.

Right, and? Why does that mean "WM can repeal Scottish Human Rights" (other than by removing the powers of the Scottish Parliament - if that happened, there would be slightly more serious things to worry about)?

FFA not part of the vow? I thought we were getting home rule or near federalism? Does that not equate to FFA?

No.

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The only people that care about the vow are folk who voted yes in the referendum. Opinion polls show that it had a negligable impact on how people voted.

Opinion polls show no such things. Congratulations on typing out a post. It must be difficult when you're short of a spine.

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The Master is entirely correct to state that there is no constitutional route to a permanent Scottish parliament within the UK, due to the paramount sovereignty of the Westminster parliament. A fact that Gordon Brown, as a former prime minister and someone involved with the original devolution settlement would know fine well.

Which begs the question why he was running around in the last week or two of the referendum spouting shite about making it a permanent fixture.

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If you have a Law stating you require a referendum & the Scottish parliament agreement before you can abolish then you try and dissolve without that agreement I would say that would be more difficult than just having a Law that doesn't require that agreement.

There is no statutory Sewell convention meaning Westminster can legislate on devolved matters.

Under devolution legislation, acts of the Scottish parliament and decisions of Scottish ministers must comply with the European convention and the 1998 Human Rights Act.

FFA not part of the vow? I thought we were getting home rule or near federalism? Does that not equate to FFA?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

SNP's EU legal adviser found

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To your second point: You said that politicians lie and that it is part of the game to do so. Is that the case only when it suits?

As a matter of balance, all week Tommy Shepherds comments on FFA have been continually quoted out of context by politicians from the Labour Party and the Tories. To the extent that he wrote a column to address it.

I guess that, given the rules of this apparent "game" though, we have to accept it as par for the course?

I didn't say that they weren't allowed to lie. I just think it's legitimate for it to be pointed out how brazen they are with it.

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Opinion polls show no such things. Congratulations on typing out a post. It must be difficult when you're short of a spine.

on mobile so can't link but type the vow Scotsman polls into google and you'll find you are talking pish.
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knew you would say that to deflect, there's a link from mcpravda posted above referring to the same poll.

I apologise, but I've long since stopped looking to the print press for a source of information. They're a disgrace.

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I apologise, but I've long since stopped looking to the print press for a source of information. They're a disgrace.

Including "The National"?

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knew you would say that to deflect, there's a link from mcpravda posted above referring to the same poll.

And what do the polls say about Devo Max ? I'm sure that most Scots are in favour. The UK government's determination to continually bang on about FFA to deflect away from the fact that they won't give us devo max EVER is fooling absolutely no one, apart from Scottish unionists of course.

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